Crate



Aug. 26; 1924. 1,506,627

E. A. FRANCIS ET AL CRATE IT/visa A TTORNEYS I Willy/m WWJ Patented Aug.26,

EDGAR A. FRANCIS AND WILLIAM SALOW, OF MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA,

' CRATE.

Application filed January 23, 1923. Serial No. 614,415.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDGAR A. Francis and WILLIAM SALow, both citizensof the United States, and residents of Marshalltown, in the county ofMarshall and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Crate, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to a crate, and aims to provide a device of thisnature which shall be collapsible so as to be capable of being disposedwithin a minimum amount of space.

It is an object of the present invention to construct a crate of anydesirable material which crate is ideally adapted for the shipment ofbananas, and similar articles, and which, when not in use, may becapable of being stored to occupy a relatively small amount of space.

A further object of the present invention is that of providing a crate,which when ex tended will present an extremely rigid and inter-lockingconstruction, preventing any danger of its being accidentally collapsed.

lWith these and further objects in mind the present invention consistsessentially in the provision of a plurality of movable inter-engagingmembers, together with lochiug means, which may be moved to a positionto provide a receptacle or may be moved to a second position withrespect to each other to form an extremely compact body which occupies aminimum of space.

Reference is had to the attached sheet of drawings as illustrating onepractical embodiment of our invention, and it will be seen in thesedrawings that Figure 1 is a side elevation of a crate embodying ourimproved construction and hav ing certain of its parts broken away todisclose the underlying portion.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of said crate.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view taken along the line 3-3 and in thedirection of the arrow illustrated in Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line and in the direct-ionof the arrows illustrated in Figure 2, and showing the parts when thecrate is collapsed.

It will be seen in the embodiment illustrated that the crate includesessentially a round body comprising a plurality of hoops disposed inspaced relationship one to the other, these hoops each including aplurality of segments 5, preferably tour in number.

The crate also includes two pairs of struts 6 and 7 arranged adjacent tothe ends of these segments, and it will be seen that the struts 6 aredisposed in opposite points in the circumference of the crate, and arearranged in such a manner as to lie substantially flush against the sidewalls thereof while the struts 7 are disposed transversely to these sidewalls.

Adjacent ends of each pair of segments are connected to a common strut,and as has been brought out in Figure 3 those ends of the segments 5connected to the strut 6 by means of pivot pins 8 are relativelystraight, while the opposite ends of these segments are bent inwardly asat 9, so as to lie flush against the side edges of the struts 7 to whichthey are connected by means of pivot pins 10.

Thus it will be understood that upon the struts 6 and 7 being moved inopposite directions the segments 5 will each be swung around theirrespective pivot pins 8 and 10, and thus be caused to assume theposition shown in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2, and in full lines inFigure 4E. The same is also true of the floor of the crate which iscomposed of sections 11 and 12 each formed with a flange 13corresponding to one of the hoops atoredescribed, so that upon it beingdesired to collapse the crate the floor sections will be caused toassume the position parallel to each other as in Figure 4, and thusoccupy a minimum amount of space.

To further provide means serving to normally retain the parts in theposition shown in full lines in Figures 1 and 2 we preferably attach abar 14: to one of the floor sections by means of a pivot pin 15, andthis bar normally occupies the position shown in dotted lines in Figure3, although upon the crate parts being extended with respect to eachother, the bar may be swung to a position at which its ends willunderlie the clips 16 to thus prevent any movement of the parts withrespect to each other.

A crate of this nature is preferably constructed of metal, but it willbe obvious that the same may be formed of any desirable material.However, it will be understood that the objects of this invention, inany instance are accomplished, incident to the fact that the crate partsare normally extended to the position shown in Figure 1, in which anymovment of these parts is prevented by means of the bar 14:, and also byvirtue of the fact that those ends of the segments 5 associated with thestruts 6 are cut to providev an overlappingistructu're as at 17 inFigure 1, thus further preventing any movement of the parts. Howeverupon the operator desiringto"collapsethe crate to occupy a minimumamount of space it will be obvious that this may be accomplished by fromthe scope of our claims; which are 1. A crate comprising a plurality ofstruts, a plurality of hoops each of said hoops comprising a pluralityof segments having their ends movably connected one to each of saidstruts whereby said hoops may be folded upon themselves, and floorsections for the said crate, said sections being movably connected tosaid struts, and means for normally retaining the parts of said crate inextended positions with respect t'oeach other. A crate comprising aplurality of struts, a plurality of hoops each of said hOYQpS comprisinga plurality of segments havin o their ends movably connected one t eilfil of said struts whereby said hoops maybe foldedupon themselves, andfloor sectionsfor the said crate, said sections being movably connectedto said struts, and means associated with said sections for normallyretaining the parts of said crate in extended positions with respect toeach th r 3. A. crate comprising va plurality of struts; a plurality ofhoops, each of said ried by one of said sections, and means car-' triedby both of said sections for engagement with said bar whereby when thesame is swung to a position to engage said means, the crate portions"will be retained in extended position with respect. to'each other.

4. A crate comprising a plurality of struts, a plurality of segmentsarranged 1 between said struts, one of the ends of each of said segmentsbeing relatively straight, the opposite end of each of said segmentsbeing bent at an angle with respectto its body, pivot pins extendingthrough the said struts and engaging the ends of said segments.

5. A crate comprising a plurality of struts, a plurality of segmentsarranged between said struts, one of the ends of each of said segmentsbeing relatively straight, the opposite end of each of said segmentsbeing bent at an angle with respect to its body, pivot pins extendingthrough the said struts and engaging the ends of said segments, thosestruts engaging the straight ends of said segments lying substantiallyflush against the same and having their outer side faces forming a partof the side wall of said crate, those struts attached to the. bent endsof said segments being disposed trans versely to the side wall of saidcrate.

6. A crate asset forth in claim 1}, the relatively straight segment endsbeing cut out and providing overlapping structures whereby to furtherprevent movement of the parts.

EDGAR A. FRANCIS. WILLIAM SALOVV

